WORCESTER, Mass. - The 82nd Clark high school basketball tournament will kick off this weekend, and, for just the second time, it will feature a girls bracket.

The only other time girls played in the tournament was in 1973. The girls teams that are playing this year are excited about the overdue opportunity.

"We're all very excited to be playing here," said West Boylston foward Lucy Allen at Tuesday's media day. "It's really important for the Clark Tournament to have women this year. It's the 51st anniversary of Title IX, so just having the women be part of the tournament is a huge step for women's athletics." 

The first round of the girls brackets for both the large and small schools, which are the semi-finals, are being held Sunday at Clark University. The full schedule and bracket can be found on the tournament's website.